Keep marijuana out of the constitution of Ohio

Just five months after Ohio voters overwhelmingly rejected a constitutional amendment to legalize the use of marijuana, a new campaign has been launched to place another issue on the November general election ballot.

But before Ohioans sign the initiative petitions, they need to ask themselves the following question: Is there a better way to address the growing demand for medical marijuana? Note the word in italics – medical.

We believe there is. It’s called the legislative process. Ohio’s senators and representatives aren’t blind to the fact that there are individuals in the state who have legitimate medical conditions for which marijuana could be a godsend.

Indeed, a task force from the Republican-controlled House has just concluded hearings at which testimony was taken from supporters and opponents of marijuana legalization for medicinal purposes. Witnesses talked about medical conditions such as epilepsy and severe migraine being ameliorated by the use of marijuana, while members of the law- enforcement community and others warned that cannabis is the gateway to more-serious drug use and the cause of increased crimes.

In the GOP-controlled Senate, two members, a Republican and a Democrat, have traveled around the state to hear what proponents and opponents have to say about legalization.

With all that information, leaders in the General Assembly will proceed with developing legislation that would pass muster with all the interested parties, especially law enforcement and the medical community.

That is how important policy decisions with far-reaching social implications should be handled. State control over all aspects of the issue must be maintained.

Amending Ohio’s constitution to legalize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes is ill advised – even if the group leading the charge, Ohioans for Medical Marijuana, insists there will be numerous safeguards and strict guidelines.

Major backing

Ohioans for Medical Marijuana is backed by the Marijuana Policy Project of Washington, D.C., the largest organization working solely on marijuana reform in the United States.

Rob Kampla, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project, offered this explanation for the proposed constitutional amendment:

“The Ohio initiative is similar to the medical marijuana laws in 23 states and the District of Columbia. The Ohio initiative will allow patients with a list of medical problems to use, possess and grow their own medical marijuana if they have the approval of their physicians. The state government will issue ID cards to make it easy for law enforcement to identify which patients and caregivers can legally possess medical marijuana, and the state government will also issue licenses to businesses to provide medical marijuana to patients. We drafted the initiative based on the best practices in other states that have legalized medical marijuana.”

But the proposed amendment also provides for the establishment of large-grow and medium-grow cultivation and the manufacturing, distribution, testing and retail of medical marijuana. A state entity, the Medical Marijuana Control Division, will issue the licenses.

There are many other aspects to the proposed constitutional amendment that can be viewed online, but we doubt that most circulators of the petitions and the individuals being solicited for their signatures will take the time to read them.

Therein lies the problem. The constitution of the state of Ohio could be amended by the voters who may well be in the dark about the details of the proposal.

A total of roughly 306,000 signatures of qualified electors is needed.

Last year, the proponents of marijuana legalization for recreational and medical use succeeded in placing a proposed constitutional amendment on the November general-election ballot.

We were adamantly opposed to the issue because it would have created a drug cartel through the ownership of 10 mega marijuana farms.

At the time, we suggested that medical marijuana was an issue worth investigating – by state government.

Thus, we urge Ohio voters to refrain from signing the petitions and to let the General Assembly do its job.